Both Ambika and Ambalika were wives of KingVichitravirya of Hastinapura, who, however, died childless. Anxious to ensure the continuation of the royal lineage, Vichitravirya's mother Satyavati called another of her sons, the ascetic Vyasa (born through Sage Parashara), to bestow motherhood upon the two widowed queens. Vyasa, as a hermit practising severe austerities, was unpleasant and even fearsome in appearance, so much so that Ambika shut her eyes tight when she saw him, and her sister Ambalika went pale with fear. As a result, the sons they bore were respectively the blind Dhritarashtra, and the sickly albino Pandu, neither of whom qualified to become kings.
Thereafter, Satyavati asked Vyasa to grant a son to Ambika, to ensure that at least one of the boys born would be eligible in all respects. However Ambika sent the lady-in-waiting to Vyasa, resulting the birth of Vidura. This dutiful lady not being frightened by Vyasa appearance had a normal healthy son born to her. Thus Vidura was born. He was raised and educated byBhishma as the half-brother of Dhritarashtra and Pandu. However, since neither of his parents was of the blood royal, he was made counsellor to his brothers, the kings, rather than a king himself. Upon the blind Dhritarashtra's succession, he took on the reins of government for all practical purposes, guiding his brother's government untilDuryodhana came of age, when he was consigned to a secondary role.
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